Our second week of class starts with Fatwa on Astrology, Charlatanry and
Medicine. However, it touched on Numerology & Magic as well. Despite the
fact that most of us have heard and believe Astrology to be an act that may
lead to shirk, Prof shared the different opinions from scholars, even from the
famous Hujjatul Islam Imam Al-Ghazali.
There are plenty interesting new things that I have discovered. Numerology
on one hand, unknown to most, has been used by Muslims for centuries. They have
this Numerology table to add up numbers which will indicate a certain meaning.
For example, 786 stand for Bismillahirrahmanirrahim. We have seen amulets wore
by Muslims in some part of India. Although some of them may not understand or
are able to explain its meaning, but to them it is a manifestation of Islam
that they hold on to dearly. We were also shown how Muslims used Geomancy (Feng
Shui) like the Chinese.
The main highlight of the class is not to be quick to judge and label others
as kuffar or committing bid’ah. There is much knowledge that may not be available
to us since we have lost the keys to its door. I now have an interest to open
up Ahmad Al-Buni books of Shams Al-Maarif Al-Kubra and see what he has to say.
But more importantly, I do not deny the fact that this knowledge can be dangerous,
as one wrong step can make us fall to the one sin which God will never forgive,
the sin of committing shirk. Wallahualam.